Cheshire Academy Embraces Solar Panels and Drift Solar Snow Fences

The solar energy system, funded entirely by New York solar energy developer Plankton Energy in 2023, is expected to generate approximately 272 kWh of solar power annually.  Over the lifetime of the system, Cheshire Academy will save more than $297,000 on electricity expenses and avoid more than 1,248 metric tons of CO-2 emissions, which is the equivalent of burning 140,000 gallons of gasoline.

"The electricity from the solar panels is fed into the buildings that the panels are installed on and is consumed onsite," says Solar Project Manager Aidan Kates with Plankton Energy. "The timing for installation was ideal because new asphalt shingles had just been installed on the science building and the school's student sustainability club wanted to bring solar to their campus."

Specifying Drift Solar Snow Fences

According to Kates, it's important to have a snow retention system when dealing with solar panels on a roof.  "Solar panels cover the textured roof that would typically break up chunks of snow and prevent the collection of sheets of snow," says Kates. "Because solar panels are smooth, snow accumulates into sheets on top of them".

"Those sheets of snow compact onto the solar panels.  This threatens to slide off the panels all at once, which can be very dangerous.  The Drift Solar Snow Fence from Rocky Mountain Snow Guards helps keep the snow from sliding off the roof."

Designed specifically for snow retention below solar panel installations, the 12" tall, 4-pipe aluminum Drift Solar snow retention system serves as a "catch basin" allowing the snow to melt rather than avalanche off the roof.

Suitable for both new and retrofit roof applications, the brackets must be bolted to the roof support structure flush at the eave with the tubing side facing down-slope (reversed installation compared to other snow fence installations).  Centurion Solar Energy installed the snow fencing summer of 2023 making sure to leave a minimum of 12" between the bottom of the solar panel and the snow fence to prevent shadowing on the panels.

"We really liked the aesthetic of the Drift Solar Snow Fence," says Kates. "Plus, we needed a product that would be effective in stopping ice/sleet slide-off as this roof is in a high traffic area of the school campus.  The snow fence also allowed us to space the rail away from the edge of our solar array to avoid any shading on our panels."

Snow Fences Create Safer Campus

Now in place for almost a year, Nick Liebler, Director of Facilities at Cheshire Academy, relates that the Drift Solar Snow Fences have made a major difference. "Before the snow fences were installed it was a nightmare," says Liebler. "The snows melting off the solar panels would simply avalanche off the roof, causing a dangerous situation. The Drift Solar Snow Fences are doing their job and have made the situation significantly safer."

According to Liebler, the solar panels warm up quickly after snow falls, so that the snow quickly slides down the roof areas. The snow is now "captured" by the snow fences.  Only when there are extremely large snow falls and the snow exceeds the height of the snow fence are there challenges. "Even then, the situation is still so much better than it was before the snow fences were installed," says Liebler.  "There's  a night and day change now that we have the Drift Solar Snow Fences in place."